Answering Mr. King.
I spoke with some of the people who own these historic cars over the weekend in Sonoma County.
The story goes that with the Le Mans Tiger project in planning that Marcus Chambers? sat down with some Dunlop people and they said they would be able and happy to provide suitable wheels. The resulting cost was high? by 60's standards but nothing now.
These wheels were cast in magnesium. Fast forward about 30+years and the late Dick Barker now owns the "mule" or first Le Mans Tiger built for the press and Le Mans Trials to "qualify" a team entry. Magnesium does not age well. The wheels are not considered road worthy much less race worthy. Dick used one of the spare wheels he got to make a mold to cast new wheels of aluminum. These were presumably passed on when he sold the car to Chris Gruys who had previously owned the #9 LM and the "Monster" Tiger. He now owns the LM Trials "Thunderbolt" as well. This is complicated but Alan Fraser had raced the LM 9 and later transferred many parts of the LM to the production race car known as the "monster" Tiger including the knock off hubs and Dunlap wheels.
So ..... The wheels on the Monster Tiger at Sonoma are ? from Dick Barker or produced later from the molds that were made from original Dunlap Sunbeam Le Mans wheels.
Yet to see light of day... current owner and driver of LM Tiger 9, Darrell Mountjoy, has used virtual technology (3d CAD?) and has some new forged aluminum wheels on contract which were not ready for last weekend.
Talking to one person close to this I was told that only 4 cars should use this unique wheel. The 3 LM Tigers and the Monster Tiger which earned it's reputation kicking butt with the wheels, and aluminum doors trunk and hood of a LM Tiger.
Photo below is LR wheel of the restored Monster Tiger.
Rick
Rick,
Thanks for the answer about the Dunlops. I always liked the look of them on the LM Tigers and the monster Tiger. Given they are 15x6.5 (or 6?) im thinking they would make a nice street wheel if they could be had in a bolt on as opposed to the original peg drive knock ons (and heaps of guys are running this size in a panasport these days).
Perhaps a small correction though, while fraser transfered many of the LM parts to the Monster car, the "trunk" (boot for UlK and AUS) would not have been from the LM car as it has the fastback, as for the hood (bonnet) It might have been the one used when raced by Bernard Unnett in the UK after LM.. at hat point he fitteed a scoop and modified the car for 4 x webers.. when the car ran in factory LM spec it had a stock style hood with deflectors for wind and stones.
An amazing looking car, and well done on the wheels to whoever made them.. cant wait to see the LM car with them on will it be at monterye?
Have they contacted Tony Eckford in the UK.. would be nice to see that car racing on them instead of minilites and dunlop square hole LW e-type style wheels.. great to see the Tigers getting back to how they were in period.. albeit it probably better prepared and faster than rootes ever managed
